


A Moment of Quiet, A Warm Touch

by AyumiFallassion



Category: Juuni Kokki | Twelve Kingdoms
Genre: Enki is a cheeky monkey, F/M, I should be working, Juni Kokki, Napfic, Shoryuu knows better, no beta we die like men, slice of cute, twelve kingdoms - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 22:49:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17272619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AyumiFallassion/pseuds/AyumiFallassion
Summary: Just a moment in the life of a teenage queen and her handsome deer/giraffe man. No actual romance, just he groundwork for something in the far future.





	A Moment of Quiet, A Warm Touch

Youko sighed as she leaned back against the door to her chambers, only to flinch as a kanzashi poked against her scalp. It had been an uphill battle all day with her ministers, and while it was better than at the beginning of her reign, there were still too many members of the old guard who had gotten used to ruling in the place of ineffective queens. 

She’d woken up grumpy this morning, a combination of bad dreams and a body that still thought she needed certain hormones every month, though she was grateful to Tentei that as an immortal and a Taika her cycle was basically shut down. She shook her head as she marched over to her desk, hair pins chiming in her ears and robes whispering against marble floors. The servants were in different parts of the palace, helping other departments while waiting for their queen to finish for the morning. Youko had dismissed the council early. She flinched again as she reached up to her hair, carefully twisting the ornaments out and placing them on the desk. While sorry to ruin Gyokuro’s hard work, she couldn’t stand the weight of gold and gems anymore. 

A knock at the door. “My queen.” On anyone else, that tone would have been a question, but Keiki was rather stoic. Thinking her within, he opened the door and stepped in. Only to pause. Done with her hair, Youko was removing the heavy robes of her office, draping them over the couch in the corner. Any of the other more expressive Kirin would have been obviously startled at the sight of their ruler stripping in front of them, though Enki was enough of a scamp that he’d probably start start making jokes. Keiki had the look of a deer that had been surprised to learn that the light in his eyes was connected to a truck barreling down at him. 

Youko glanced back at him before calmly ducking behind a screen. It would give her a chance to get rid of the blush she could feel creeping over her cheeks. “I know I ended the council meeting early Keiki, you don’t need to lecture me,” she calmly intoned, tossing the last layers of silk over the screen. Her sleep robes were actually a gift from Enki (the cheeky monkey) celebrating what should have been her twentieth birthday. The En King Shoryuu had given her a new calligraphy set. And a fan with horrible pickup lines painted on its ribs. 

They were a matched pair made in hell, but the robes were comfy at least. 

“I was not planning to lecture,” Keiki offered, pacing over to the desk as the door closed behind him. “Are you, feeling alright?” 

Youko has taken the reins of ruling her kingdom, but her predecessor, Keiki’s first queen, had grown tired and stressed over ruling fairly quickly. Youko kept this in mind as she buttoned up the top of her sleepwear. (She would have to figure out where Enki had found Japanese pajamas in her size!) “I’m fine Keiki,” she offered with a smile as she padded out, blue eyes all the brighter against blue robes. “I’m just not feeling the best today.” She moves to the bed, batting aside the sheer, decorative curtain to plop down on the mattress, sighing deeply as she relaxed for the first time all morning. Loose crimson hair fanned out behind her as her head hit the pillow, a halo of fire as she looked over at her Kirin. “I just, I just need a nap before sword practice.”

Keiki was warm. He was so pale that you would think his temperature would match his coloring. But that hand that pressed against hers was as warm as any human, and all the more comforting with the knowledge of his own history with his first queen. “I will tell the maids to leave you be till lunch if you wish,” he offered, a smile gracing his pale face. 

His queen smiled back at him, clasping their hands tighter together. “Stay?” she asked softly, eyes hopeful when he only hesitated for a few seconds. 

Gyukuro and the other maids would find them an hour later, the elderly woman shooing the others out when they found their queen and Kirin sleeping together. Keiki was leaning against the side of the bed, knee drawn up to his chest, head resting against his arm. Their queen was curled up around herself on top of the covers, facing her Kirin even in slumber.

And even in their sleep, their hands were still clasped together.

**Author's Note:**

> The maids would be giggling and gossiping about how cute they were together for days after this if Gyokuro hadn’t nipped it in the bud. 
> 
> As for Shoryuu’s gift? It was horrid stuff like ‘Do you believe in love at first sight or do I have to walk by you again?’ Youko keeps it hidden in a drawer in her desk and uses it as an actual fan whenever the En pair come to visit. Enki thinks this is hilarious. 
> 
> They’re so cute together. Maybe they’ll reach first base in a few decades.


End file.
